FOOT CARE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 October 1938, Page 10

FOOT CARE

SUITABLE SHOES FOR WALKING. SENSIBLE HINTS. How often has a holiday excursion been spoilt by some member of the expedition exclaiming: “I can’t go any farther; my feet ache so!” Although it is true that in some cases the cause may not be the fault of the individual, the vast majority of foot troubles are due to the person concerned. Carelessness, ignorance, and pride are the chief culprits. People cannot, be bothered to get suitable shoes for walking. Some do not realise that feet tsnused to long walks will not function like those of an athlete. Others have purchased shoes because they look nice or because they make the feet look small. i

If you wont shoes that will carry you over miles of country, over hill and dale, then buy a pair with thick soles and soft uppers, a pair that really fit. Break them in a week or two before the holiday. Those who suffer most from foot troubles are the people with thin, bony feet, flat feet or feet that perspire too freely. The first class should be car’eful in their choice of footwear. They require bigger shoes relatively than those with fat feet, because of the latter are already padded and the friction of a tight shoe does not affect them to the same extent. A thinly-covered foot quickly chafes if shoes are too tight. Flat feet are those where the normal arch which give a spring to the gait has fallen and the patient, instead of being held up by the elastic bands underneath the foot, walks on the more solid boney joints of the foot. There is no cure for flat foot in an advanced stage, because the bones have changed in shape and nothing will ever alter that, but a considerable amount of relief can be obtained by wearing a soft, spongy inner sole to the shoe. In the early stages flat feet will usually yield to exercise, helped by the building-up of the shoe on its inner edge so as to throw the weight of the body, on to the outer side of the foot. Particularly in hot weather those who suffer from perspiring feet have an uncomfortable time. Blisters form readily if care is not taken, the feet tend to swell and the shoes to pinch. Strict attention to hygiene is essential, and if the condition cannot be entirely cured at least its worst features may be lessened. In these cases the feet should be washed in cold water containing a little washing soda every morning and evening. After a thorough drying, dust the feet all over with a powder of starch, zinc and boric acid. Keep the nails clean and short. A change of socks or stockings is essential every